Performance test results and comparison with Steam
The cold start of the new Epic Games Launcher takes 46 percent less time than launching the competing Steam client. These conclusions come from tests commissioned by the creators of Fortnite and conducted by the external firm Keywords Studios. Measurements were taken across five research series on 13 diverse Windows computer configurations.
The numbers are impressive, but in daily use, the differences can be microscopic. Resuming the program from the system tray proved to be 14 percent faster than Valve's platform. In practice, this means a gain of just 0.06 seconds, which the human eye cannot register. However, the advantage is visible during a full startup. The editors of Ars Technica conducted independent tests, confirming that the new launcher goes from a cold start to displaying the store page several seconds faster than its rival.
Epic adds further bold claims to this. On the project's homepage, the manufacturer declares that the rebuilt game library runs 30 times faster. However, no detailed data or methodology for this specific value has been provided.
The use of vibe coding and AI-driven code rebuilding
"Programming is hard" – this is how Epic Games summarized the reasons for choosing "vibe coding" in an official blog post. Instead of laboriously patching old, bloated architecture, engineers handed software development over to algorithms.
Epic Games Store Vice President and General Manager Martin Keely explained that the team started from a clean slate. Artificial intelligence was used to write and verify code in an entirely new technology stack. The result? A small group of programmers was able to rewrite the entire application codebase from scratch, mapping existing features into a fresh structure.
Company CEO Tim Sweeney announced a major shift toward accelerating development through AI. He publicly assured that the goal of the new strategy is not to do the same work with fewer hands, but to create more and better projects.
However, it is hard to escape the bitter context of staffing. These enthusiastic declarations come just months after Epic Games laid off 1,000 employees in March 2026, following previous cuts in 2023. Enthusiasm for replacing classic coding with AI assistants therefore understandably leaves a bad taste among industry programmers. The problem is that while a small team managed to quickly lay the foundations for the launcher, the corporation's personnel savings are long behind it.
Preview version features and platform availability
Public tests of the Preview release covered Windows 10 and 11, macOS version 12 or later, and Linux. For the latter, Epic has prepared a native variant for the first time in its history, requiring Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, Debian 12, or Fedora 43.
Long-awaited organizational changes have appeared in the library. Players have received a list of recently played titles, collections for easier game sorting, dedicated product subpages, and a centralized network download panel. Interestingly, the new application can integrate with the user's drive in such a way that it allows for the direct launching of games installed on the computer via the competing Steam client.
However, the early stage of software development means significant compromises. The Preview release is still far from full feature parity with the old version. Selected social options and basic account management panels are missing. Users must therefore accept temporary gaps in the interface.
There were also concerns about the stability of the entire environment. Company representative Brian Sharon publicly assured players, however, that the teething problems present in the test version will not negatively affect the stability of casual or tournament gameplay, nor will they disrupt the proper operation of developer tools.
Sources
- Ars Technica: Epic says its new vibe-coded Epic Games Launcher is faster than Steam
- Engadget: Epic thinks you'll love its new vibe coded game launcher
- Tom’s Hardware: Epic Games vibe codes new launcher because 'programming is hard,' claims it starts 46% faster than Steam
Article prepared with the help of artificial intelligence based on: Ars Technica, Engadget, Tom’s Hardware. Facts checked automatically against these sources. The Wiadomości PRO newsroom is responsible for this publication.
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